Kenya on path to Test status

KENYA applied for Test status yesterday at the executive board meeting of the International Cricket Council. Their case was proposed by the West Indies and seconded by Zimbabwe. They must now meet ICC criteria and pass inspections before being admitted as full members.

By Simon Briggs in Nairobi

12:00AM BST 18 Oct 2000

KENYA applied for Test status yesterday at the executive board meeting of the International Cricket Council. Their case was proposed by the West Indies and seconded by Zimbabwe. They must now meet ICC criteria and pass inspections before being admitted as full members.

Jimmy Rayani, chairman of the Kenyan Cricket Association, does not expect Kenya to be promoted immediately. "They will probably ask us to play more games and do more development work," he said. "Bangladesh applied in 1997, and it took them three years to become a Test nation. But I think at the moment our team is as good as theirs, if not better."

Kenya gained official one-day international status in 1997, but since then they have won only one match against an established nation, beating India in Gwalior in 1997-98. According to Asif Karim, their captain at last year's World Cup, they are still too reliant on the small Asian population.

"There are 10 clubs in the first division, and most are 50 to 60 per cent Asian, if not 100 per cent," said Karim. "It gives an artificial surface to the game. We have to show that cricket can be a way of life for everyone."

There is a strong rivalry between Kenya's racial groups. It was evident during Sunday's ICC Knockout Trophy final in Nairobi, when New Zealand's win over India left the Asian majority looking glum. Black spectators, however, were jubilant.

Related Articles

With ticket prices up to £20, the ground was less than half full for many of the games. "In hindsight, we could have done things differently," Karim said. "We were trying to make up our expenditure, which was £480,000. We will come up short of that figure, but the ICC may be able to help."

Despite the financial shortfall, the ICC Trophy has left a positive legacy in Nairobi. The Gymkhana Club ground is now an international-class venue, with some of the finest pitches in world cricket. And the organisation of the tournament was largely hitch-free, despite the weaknesses of Kenya's infrastructure. If Test status does not come first, the next big step will probably be a World Cup match in 2003, when South Africa are to be the principal hosts.